A Banner Ad or advertisement is a rectangular space appearing on a website, paid for by an advertiser, which allows the user to click-through to the advertiser’s website.
Usually, a banner ad is rectangular graphical content that is stretched across the top, bottom or even on the sides of a website page. This type of advertising is usually image-based content, it can also be text-based graphic content. This kind of advertisement can be used in print media such as newspapers or magazines as well.
It is very effective when promoting a brand, product, service with a view to driving traffic to the advertiser’s site from a host site.
These ads work as traditional ads but the payment system for them may differ. The advertiser can choose to pay the host for the ad in one of three methods and they are -
- Cost per impression
- Cost per click
- Cost per action
As this type of ad takes a prominent space of a webpage, newspaper or magazine to be displayed, banner ads are also called Display Ads.
Use of the Term in Sentences
- The first banner advertisement was published in 1994 on the website of Wired magazine.
- Banner ads and virtually all online ads maintain real-time technology which makes the bidding process fair and ensures a level playing field for all advertising companies.